Reel



Nov. 13, 1962 H. R. NUSBAUM 3063679 REEL Filed D80. 29, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 F l G 2 INVEN TOR.

HAROLD R. NUSBAUM ATTORNEY Nov. 13, 1962 H. R. NUSBAUM 3063,679

REEL

Filed D80. 29, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4 LJ INVENTOR. HAROLD R. NUSBAUM ATTORNEY Statee tet 3,063679 REEL Harold R. Nusbanm, 301 Louis St Oseeala, lud. Filet! Dee 29, 1958, Sei. N0. 733,222 7 Claims. (C1. 254-185) Tl1e present invention relates to reels for Winding rope, and more particularly to a reel apparatus for Winding and unwinding rope for use in water skiing and the like.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a multiple reel apparatus for handling a plurality of Ski tow ropes behind a boat, in which a single mechanism is used to Wind the ropes either one at a time or two o1 more simultaneously, and which can be comtrolled at a place in the boat remote from the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a power driven multiple reel apparatus for Ski towing ropes, the reels 015 which can be operated individually or in any combination, and in which the force applied to the individual reels can be readily contrclled to meet the various operating conditions.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a power driven multiple reel apparattts for Ski tow ropes, having a remotely controlled variable braking action and a controlled variable rewind force.

A further object 1s to provide a multiple reel apparatus for water skiing ropes, Which can be readily installed in conventional outboard and inboard motor boats and which can be easily operated without any special skills 01' Training.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pawer iven multiple reel apparatus for use in the water skiing sport, in Which one reel can be operated to rewind a tow rope and another reel simultaneously operated to unwind a tow rope.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reel of the aforesaid type which can be installed on a boat without the use of any special tools or equipment and which can thereafter oe safely operated and easily serviced by unskilled operators.

Additional objects and advantages will ent frorn the following drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational and partial cross sectional view of an outboard motor boat, showing my reel apparatus in elevation installed therein;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of my reel apparatus installed in a boat, a fragmentary top plan view of the boat being shown;

FEGURE 3 is a vertical cross sectional view of my reel apparatus taken on line 33 cf FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross sectional view cf my reel apparatus taken on line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a portion cf the apparatus taken on line 5-5 cf FIGURE 2; and

FEGURE 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a porbecorne appardescription and accompanying tion of the apparatus taken on line 66 cf FIGURE 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, numeral 10 designates an outboard motor boat, having a section thereof broken away to show the present reel apparatus 12 installed in operationg position in the rear of the boat, the outboard motor (not shown) of any conventional o1 Weil known type being mounted on the transom 14 to the rear of the boat. The particular kind of boat shown in the drawings is merely for the purpose of ilustrating the present invention which can be as satisfactorily used in conjunction With inboard rn0t0r type boats and varions other types of outboard motor boats. The present apparatns is shown mounted on and secured to a platform er rear seat 16 wh.ich forms a secure anchor for the apparatus.

The operating mechanism of the reel apparatus is mounted on a base 20 which seats on and is secured to the platform or rear seat and includes in the present embodiment of the invention four spool-like reels 22, 24, 26 and 28 rotatably journalled on a main shaft 30 extending the full length of the apparatus and journalled in bearings 32 and 34. These bearings which may be of the plain, ball er roller type are secured firmly to base 20 by b0lts 36. Each reel consists of a hub 38 and disc-shaped sides 40 and 42 secured rigidly to the hub by a plurality of screws 43, and an axial hole 44 for receiving shaft 30, the parts cf the hub and sides defining hole 44 forming a bearing for relative rotation between the respective reel and shaft 30. Secured on opposite ends of shaft 30 for rotation therewith are clutch plates 46 and 48 held firrnly on the shaft by an integral flange 50 and a pin 52 extending through the shaft and opposite sides of the flange. Plates 46 and 48 adjacent the respective reel are provided With friction layers 54 and 56, which are preferably cemented or otherwise secured to plates 46 and 48 and are adapted t0 grip the adjacent side of the reels as the latter are moved axially 011 shaft 30 into engagement with the plates. Secured 011 shaft 30 inwardly from reels 24 and 26 are clutch plates 58 and 60 with friction layers 62 and 64 interposed between the respective clutch plates and reels, said layers preferably being secured to the faces of the plates.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, reels 22 and 24 are urged apart and into engagement Witl1 the respective clutch plates by a coil spring 66 mounted on shaft 30 between the two reels and reacting between the adjacent faces of the reels. A similar spring 63 is mounted on the shaft between reels 26 and 28 and urges the reels against clntch plate 53 and 60. These two springs place a slight drag on the reel to prevent back lash and accidental partial rewinding of the rope as a result 0f sudden release of pull on the rope during the unwinding operation. The amount of force applied by the springs is not sufiicient to prevent relatively free rotation cf the reels on shaft 30 when the tow rope is being pulled outwardly behind the boat.

The reels are operated to Wind the tow ropes by a motor 70 positioned near the center of shaft 30 and operatively connected thereto by a pulley 72 on motor shaft 74, belt 76 on pulley 72 and a pulley 78 secured to shaft 80 and belt 82 on pulleys 84 and 86 secured to shafts 80 and 30, respectively. 'I'he series 013 pulleys forrns a speed reduction mechanism between motor 70 and sl1aft 30. The motor is rigidly mounted on base 20 and shaft 80 is journallel in bearings 88 and 90 whicl1 is turn are rigidly secured to the base by bolts 92 and 94, respectively. The motor is norrnally operated only when one or more tow ropes are to be wound on the reel; however, only those reels are operated by the motor having at least a partially unwound and unused rope.

Under certain conditions of operation a tow rope may be pulled in from behind the boat With relatively little force, requiring only the pressure of spring 66 er 68 to maintain a nonslipping connection between the reel and its respective clutch plate f0r driving the reel. However, normally more force is required to maintain this nonslipping connection than is provided by the springs. This additional force is obtained by solenoids 96 and 98 acting through lever 100 and shoe 102 t0 apply pressure sepa rate ly to reels 22 and 24, and solenoids 104 and 106 acting through lever 108 and shoe 110 to apply pressure separately to reels 26 and 28. The pressure is applied to the reels by the shoes adjacent the springs augmenting the force urging the reels against the clutch plates. Lever 100 is pivoted on a pin 112 and is connected to the plungers of solenoids 96 and 98 by a stem 114 pivotally comnected t0 lever 100 by a pin 116, and lever 108 is pivoted 011 a pin 118 and connected to the plungers of solenoids 164 and 106 by a stem 120 pivotally connected to lever 163 by a pin 122. Pins 112 and 113 are seated in base 20 and the respective levers 1194i and 103 are held in proper operating position by -sleeves 124 and 126 and the head of each pin. When solenoid 96 is energizedQ shoe 1112 is pressed firmly against reel 22 which is pressed in turn firrnly against clutch plate 46, causing reel 22 to rotate With the plate if runter 70 is in operation. The other three reels are operated in the same manner by the respective solenoids and clutch plates. As soon as the solenoids are deenergized, shoes 102 and 116- return to their neutral osition between the reels.

In order to prevent the tow ropes from rotating shaft 30 unintentionally or causing a reverse rewinding after the rope has.been rapidly unwound, a ratchet meehanism 139 is included in the apparatus, consisting of a wheel or disc 132 fixedly secured to shaft 38 by a key 134 or any other suitaole means and a relativeiy stift resilient lever 136 mounted an base 29 by screws 138 and 139. As the mtor turns the shaft to Wind the tow ropes, the shaft and disc 132 are rotated in the counter-clockwise direction and lever 136 does not interfere With the operation. In the event the shaft anal disc attempt to rotate in a clockwise direction, resulting for example fr0ni the force exerted by a tow rope, one or the nher of steps 146 or 142 engages the npper end of lever 136 and prevents any further rotation in that direction. This ratchet mechanism is usually not a necessary feature in the present apparatns since suf'rlcient resistance to reverse rotation of shaft 30 is providecl by the speed reduction mechanisrn between the motor and the shaft, this mechanisrn in the present ap paratus being pulleys 72, 78, 84 and 36 and the associated belts.

In the operation of the present multiple reel apparatus installed in a boat, such as that shown in FIGURE l, the Ski tow ropes 0n, for example, reels 22 and 26 are unreeled behind the boat by merely pulling the rope out until it is fully unwound or until a stop such as a knot 144 or the like engages the part of the boat transom around the hole 146 through which the rope is threaded. Bach reel rotates on shaft 30 independently of the other reels during the unwinding operation, a slight drag, however, being placedon the reel by springs 66 and 68 urging the reels with relatively light force against their respective clutch plates. When it is desired to rewind one of the tow ropes, for example the one on reel 26, motor 70 is started, thus rotating shaft 30 and clutch plate 60 togethcr with the -rest of the elutch plates. Solenoid 106 is then energized pulling the left band end of lever 108 as viewed in FIGURE 2 toward said solenoid and forcing shoe 110 firmly against reel 26 and in turn the reel against clutch plate 60 with suflicient forcethat reel 26 is rota ted with shaft 3% intime direction to rewind the tow rope. When the rope is fully wound an the reel, solenoid 106 is deenergized, perrnitting the reel to stop rotating. Lt the solenoicl is not deenergized when the rope is fully Wound and the handle on the end thereof is pulled firmly against the transorn, no damage is done to either the reel or rope since slippagebetween the reel and theclutch occurs to permit the reel to stopl Sinee the other three reels are operated in the sarne manner as reel 26, just described, a detailed description of those will not be given herein.

Frequently the resistance onthe ropes after being released by the skier is sufiieiently small that the respective reels will rotate With shaft 30 with pressure provided by springe 66 and 68 to Wind theropes Without the additional pressure provided by the solenoids so that all four reels can be wound at the same time. If one 01 the other reel on either set 0f reels does not operate to rewind the rope when the motor is started, the respective solenoid can l e energizecl to provide the necessary frictional contact between the reel and its clutch plate.

While in the present embodirnent four reels are mounted on a shaft in sets of two each, a larger or smaller number of reels san be mounted on a Single shaft and the reels can be installed and operated independently cf each other, each having a separate lever and shoe connecting the solenoid With tl'le reel. Ind ependent spring rneans can also be used for each reel. Further changes, including substitution of an integral-rnotor and gear reduction box for the motor, belts and pulleys shown, and two-way selenoids for t'nose shown to reduce the nurnber, and for sorne uses the elimination of the solenoids altogether, can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A multiple reel apparatus for Ski tow rope, cornprising a base, a .rotatable shaft, bearings supporting said shaft on said base, a set of tWo reels mounted 0n each end of said shaft and adapted to rotate relative to said shaft, a ciutch plate secured to said shaft for rotation therewith adjacent each reel on opposite sides of each of said sets, a enil spring aronnd said shaft and between the reels cf eaeh of said Sets urging said reels against the respeetive cluteh plates, a shoe between the reels of each cf said sets, a pivoted lever connected to euch of said shoes, a pair of solenoids connected to each of said levers for urging the respective shoe into engagement with the respective reel to seat the reel firmly against its clutch plate, a motor for rotating said shaft, a speed reducing means connecting said motor With said shaft, and a ratchet means for preventing reverse rotation cf said shaft.

2. A multiple reel apparatus f0r Ski tow rope, comprising a base, a rotatable shaft, bearings supporting said shaft on said base, a sei cf two reels mounted 011 said shaft and adapted to rotate relative to said shait, a clutch plat-e secured to said shaft for rotation therewith ad jacent each reel on opposite sides cf said set, a.coil spring aronncl said shaft and between the reels of said set urging said reels against the respect-ive cluten plates, a shoe between the reels of said Set, a pivoted lever counected to said shoe, a pair 0f solenoids connected to said lever for urging said shoe into engagement with said reels to seat the respective reel firmly against its clutch plate, a motor for rotating said shaft, a. speed reducing means eonnecting said motor with said shaft, and a ratchet means for preventing reverse rotation of said shait 3. A multiple reel apparatus, cornprising a base, a rotatable shaft, bearings supporting said shaft on said base, a set of two reels mounted on said shait and adapted to rotate relative to said shaft, a clutch plate secured t0 said shaft f01 rotatinn therewith adjacent each reel 0x1 opposite sides of said set, a spring between the reels of said sei urging said reels against the respective clutch plates, a shoe between-the reels 015 said Set, a lever comneeted to said shoe, a solenoid connected to said lever for urging said shoe into engagernent with said reels to seat the respective reel firmly against its clutch plate, a motor for rotating said shaft, and a speed reducing means eonnecting said motor with said shaft.

4. A multiple reel apparatus, comprising a rotatable shaft, bearings suppsrting sm'd shaft, a Set of -two reels mounted on said shaft and adapted to rotate relative to said shaft, a clutch plate secured to said shaft for relation therewith adjacent each reel on opposite sides of said Set, a spring between the reels of said Set urging said reels against the respective clutch plates, rneans between the reels of said Set, a lever connected to said rneans, a solenoid connected to said lever for urging said means into engagement With said reels to seat the respeetive reel firrnly against its clutch plate, und a power rneans for rotating said shaft.

5. A multiple reel apparatus, cornprising a rotatahle shaft, bearings supporting said shaft, a set of two reels mounted on said shaft and adapted to rotate relative to said shaft, a clutch plate secured to said shaft for rotation therewith adjacent each reel on opposite sides cf said set, a coil spring around said shaft and between the reels of said sei urging said reels against the respec tive clutcl1 plates, a power means operating in conjunction with said spring for increasing the action of said clutch plate, a motor for rotating said shaft, and a speed reducing means connecting said motor With said shaft.

6. A multiple real apparatus, comprising a rotatable shaft, bearings suppofling said shaft, a set cf two reels mounted on said shaft and adapted to rotate relative to said shaft, a clutch plate secured to said shaft for rotation therewith adjacent each reel on opposite sides of said set, a spring between the reels ofi said set urging said reels against the respective clutch plates, a power means operating in conjunction With said spring for increasing the action cf said clutch plate, and a power rneans for rotating said shaft.

7. A reel, comprising a base, a rotatable shaft, bearings supporting said shaft on said base, a reel mounted on said shaft and adapted to rotate relative to said shaft, a clutch plate secured to said shaft for rotation therewith adjacent said reel, a coil spring around said shaft urging said reel against the clutch plate, a shoe, a pivoted lever connected to said shoe, a solenoid counected to said lever for urging said shoe into engagement with said real to seat the real firmly against the clutch plate, a motor for rotating said shaft, and a speed reducing mea.ns connecting said motor With said shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

